Idaenam
Idaenam (Korean: 이대남; Hanja: 二代男),[1] abbreviated from Isipdaenamja (20대 남성; 二十代男性; lit. man in his twenties), is a term used in South Korea to refer to men in their 20s. As of 2023, those born between 1994 and 2003 are eligible to Idaenam. The term first emerged in the late 2010s to refer to men who has voting rights but recently it is often used to men with negative tendencies toward feminism.[2] Its political and social antonym is Idaenyo (이대녀; 二代女), abbreviated from Isipdaeyoja (20대 여성; 二十代女性; lit. woman in her twenties).[3][4]
Background
At the end of 2018, the term Idaenam began to emerge after a poll rating the Moon Jae-In administration's first-year plunged. In particular, media began to pay attention to the large gender gap in a poll of 20s. Moon Jae In's approval rating among Korean men in their 20s fell below 30%. The figure is the lowest among all age groups, including the elderly with strong conservative tendencies. On the other hand, the approval rating of President Moon among women in their 20s was 63.5%, the highest among men and women by age group.[5]
In Han Gum Young's analysis examining the phenomenon of Idaenam, men in their 20s were the most conservative in subjective ideological oreientation and evaluation of presidential performance.[6] The use of the word Idaenam exploded as the proportion of Oh Se-hoon's votes among men in their 20s exceeded 70% during the Seoul mayoral election of the 2021 by-elections.
Views
Idaenam have a negative tendency toward feminism. They have been compared to "Angry Young Men" in Susan Faludi's 1991 book Backlash.[7] Idaenams are strongly opposed to misandry ('남성혐오' or '남혐').[8]
In 2021, a survey by National Human Rights Commission of Korea found that 70 percent of men in their twenties opposed affirmative action for women.[9] Many Idaenam believe that the gender quotas are discriminatory.[10]
Anti-feminism in South Korea is more pronounced among high-income young men.[11] In addition, according to statistics from 2021, men in their twenties and thirties ("Idaenam") are less receptive to LGBT rights than men in their 40s and 50s ("386 Generation male"), but more than men above the age of sixty.[12]
Idaenam in South Korean politics
The Idaenam phenomenon has been describe a form of 'social backlash', similarly to the American political language concerning the "angry white man", but this often leads to political conservatism or populism (Including both left and right sides). The JoongAng Ilbo, a South Korean centre-right publication, reported that Lee Jun-seok, the then leader of the People Power Party, uses anti-feminist investigations to win the votes of Idaenam.[13]
South Korea's liberal Moon Jae-in government implemented a more feminist policy than the previous conservative government, and men in their 20s had severe antipathy against it.[14] Yoon Suk-yeol of right-wing conservative People Power Party and Lee Jae-myung of liberal Democratic Party of Korea, who were the main candidates for the 2022 South Korean presidential election, took a negative attitude toward feminism to win the votes of Idaenam.[3]
Centrist conservative-liberal People Party's Ahn Cheol Soo criticized Yoon and Lee for promoting misogyny in awareness of Idaenam.[15] In particular, South Korean right-wingers and social conservatives are trying to make Idaenam their main supporters by actively attacking feminism.[14][16][17]
See also
- Gangnam leftist
- Feminism in South Korea
- Ilbe Storehouse, internet forum
- Sung Jae-gi, South Korean anti-feminist
General:
References
- "idaenam". 허프포스트코리아.
- Kim Sooah (2021) Men in their Twenties Angry at Feminism : Discourse Analysis of “Megal and the Finger Controversy”. Korea Citation Index
- "이대남 찾으러 간 윤석열·이재명 ... '이대녀'는 누가 챙길까" [Yoon Seokyeol and Lee Jaemyeong who went to find Idaenam ... Who will take care of "Idaenyeo"?]. 쿠키뉴스. 26 November 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
- 기자, 이윤정 (9 March 2022). "'출구조사 20대 표심' 남성은 윤석열, 여성은 이재명···10명 중 6명꼴 '몰표'". 경향신문 (in Korean). Retrieved 22 March 2023.
- Kim, Asa. "[아무튼, 주말] 이대남의 항변 "우리를 여성 혐오자라고 착각하지 마라"". n.news.naver.com (in Korean). Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- Han, Gui Young (2021). "Discussion on the Conservatization of Men in Their 20s, Their History and Implications". Politics & Public Opinion. 29: 165.
- "한국의 '이대남'과 미국의 '브로플레이크' ... '백래시의 시간'이 왔다" [Korea's "Idaenam" and America's "broflake" ... "Time for Backlash" is here.]. 프레시안. 25 May 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
- "정치권이 키운 '이대남' 프레임, 결국 GS25 사태 불러일으켜". 투데이신문. 6 May 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
- "이대남 70% "여성할당제 반대"". 파이낸셜뉴스. 25 August 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
- "이대남의 항변 "우리를 여성 혐오자라고 착각하지 마라"". The Chosun Ilbo. 5 January 2019. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
- "답글: 누가 페미니스트인가 – AS – alookso". alook.so.
- "[성소수자인식지표 – 2021년] 성소수자를 바라보는 우리의 시선 – 성소수자에 대한 인식". 14 July 2021.
- "'안티페미' 목청 올리는 이준석 정치적 영토 '이대남' 챙기기?". JoongAng Ilbo. 22 November 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
- S. Nathan Park (23 June 2021). "Why So Many Young Men in South Korea Hate Feminism". Foreign Policy.
- "안철수 "尹·洪, 이대남 눈치보며 여성공약 ... 이재명, 편가르기"". JoongAng Ilbo. 11 October 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
- "The Little Symbol Triggering Men in South Korea's Gender War". New York Times. 30 July 2021.
- "혐오를 이용하는 치졸한 정치, 이제는 멈추자" [Cheap politics that uses hatred. Let's stop now]. 프레시안. 13 November 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2021.